Gasifying of animal and vegetable matter



Oct. 30, 1934. s. s. SKINNER GASIFYING OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTER Filed Oct. 22, 1932 Patented Oct. 30, 1934 GASIFYING OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTER Samuel's. Skinner, Washington, D. 0.

Application October 22, 1932, Serial No. 639,063

2 Claims.

The invention relates to the gasifying of animal and/or vegetable matter.

The invention contemplates the production of gas suitable for use as an illuminating gas or for 5 use as a gas supplied to standard gas appliances for cooking, heating, lighting, power producing and/or refrigerating purposes.

The invention relates to the employment of substances suitable for the production of gas such 0 as garbage, straw, corn-stalks, corn-cobs, brush, leaves, bones, meat scraps and the like which can be subjected to destructive distillation or carbonization in a suitably constructed retort.

The invention according to one object or aspect thereof relates to the method whereby such gasproviding materials are subjected to carbonization or destructive distillation in a closed retort, preferably an exteriorly heated retort, from which the gases are expelled under pressure to and into a gas cooling and purifying apparatus and therethrough under pressure to and into a storage receptacle from which the gas thus supplied under pressure can pass according to requirements of the user and as and when desired.

The invention according to another object or aspect thereof relates to a system wherein and whereby the method just referred to is carried out.

The invention according to further objects or aspects thereof relates to the particular construcfying apparatus and to the mode of connecting the same into the system wherein it is employed and of which it constitutes an important functioning part.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

As illustrating certain specific manners in which the invention may be realized, reference is made to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates a system wherein there is employed an apparatus for producing, cooling and purifying, and storing gas. In the system of this figure, there is operatively connected in sequence:

tion and arrangement of the gas cooling and puri- ((0) An externally heated retort wherein batches of material to be gasified are supplied through an opening provided with a normally closed door.

(b) A gas cooling and purifying apparatus that is provided within a vertically-extending tower or shell having suitable interior arrangements for eifecting the desired cooling and purifying operations, and into the lower portion of which gas from the retort is forced as the gasifying operations within the retort proceed, and

(c) A storage tank into which gas passes from the upper or delivery portion of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus because of the pressure resulting from the gasifying operation carried out within the retort.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a fan blade used in any of the fan constructions herein described.

Fig. 3 shows a form of gas cooling and purifying apparatus somewhat different from that shown in Figure 1, but which can be employed in the arrangement of the system of Figure 1, if desired.

Fig. 4 shows another form of gas cooling and purifying apparatus which can be employed in the system.

Fig. 5 is a view partially in plan and partially in section of a fan structure which may be employed in the apparatus, said figure being a view of the fan taken as on the plane indicated by the broken line 55 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Reference will now be made to the drawing in detail:

In the apparatus shown in Figure 1, the retort is designated by 1; it is of a construction wherein the material to be gasified is supplied thereto through a throat portion 2 normally closed by the removable retort door 3. This retort is of the type which is normally referred to as an exteriorly heated gas-tight retort. Such a retort is gastight except for the offtake that leads therefrom to the gas cooling and purifying apparatus. The material undergoing gasification is indirectly heated within the retort by heat transmitted 100 through the walls of the retort from a combustion space 4. of a furnace 5.

In short, the retort is exteriorly heated and is located Within the walls or housing of the furnace wherein fire is maintained within the com 105 bustible space 4 by any suitable material supplied thereto as through a fire-door 6. The products of combustion of this furnace pass in contact with but around the retort and outwardly to the atmosphere in any suitable manner as by a chim- 110 my or stack 7. The retort door 3 is so constructed as to provide a tight joint between it and that portion of the retort throat 2 engaged by the door and any suit-able packing may be employed as, for example, an asbestos gasket, at 8, whereby the tightness of the door joint may be assured. Any suitable means as 9 is employed for forcing the door firmly against the retort throat construction which it closes. The gas cooling and purifying apparatus is collectively designated by 10.

In the arrangement of Figure 1, there appears a shell or casing construction 11 which in effect provides an upstanding tower that is divided into lower and upper interior sections 12 and 13 which may, respectively, be referred to as initial and final sections of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus.

Gas is delivered from the retort by means of the offtake piping 14 into the lower interior portion of the lower interior or initial section 12 of the-gas cooling and purifying apparatus. This oiftake pipe may be provided with any suitable stop valve as l k Within the lowermost portion of this initial section 12, there collects and is maintained a layer 15 of water and tar liquids that gradually accumulate, therein. This layer is sometimes referred to as the lower layer of liquid. "Avalve-controlled offtake or valve-controlled drain pipe 16 can be employed to withdraw tar and water liquids from this layer 15 when the depth thereof exceeds a minimum low level. In the gas cooling and purifying apparatus of Figure 1, this liquid level 15 is provided to serve as a water seal in conjunction with a rotatable fan element 1'? of the particular fan construction employed. This rotatable fan member 17 is rotatably supported upon a vertically-extending but depending member 18 of a bracket 19 carried by and secured to the shell of the apparatus. The rotatable fan element 17 comprises inner and outer cylindrical members 20 and 21, the lower ends of which dip into the lower layer of liquid 15 and between these inner and outer cylindrical sections, there are located upwardly-extending fan blade elements 22 shaped as shown in Figure 2.

In other words, these fan blade elements are relatively closely shaped, they provide upwardlyextending plate members between which gases can flow upwardly and the upper ends of these plates are curved so as to effect a turning movement of the gases and a consequent turning of the rotatable fan element because of the gases flowing through the rotatable fan element. The lower edges of these fan blades are spaced a substantial distance above the top of the body of liquid 15 so that a substantial gas-receiving space 23- is provided within the rotatable fan element between the inner and outer shells thereof below the lower edges of the several fan blades and above the liquid into which the inner and outer members 20 and 21 of the fan dip and it will be noted that the end 24 0f the pipe 14 delivers the gases into this gas-receiving space 23. The lower and upper sections 12 and 13 are divided from each other as by the partition plate 25 and the sole communication from the lower to the upper sections is through an inverted U-shaped conduit construction 26, the lower end of the intake leg of which conduit extends through the partition plate 25, and the delivery end of the delivery leg of which conduit terminates slightly above the partition plate 25 and so that it slightly dips into an intermediate liquid sealing bath 2? which is maintained on this partition 25which partition is sometimes referred to as an intermediate partition. This intermediate liquid layer 27 is supported upon the partition 25 and extends full way across the same and is caused to exist because of the water-tight construction provided by the partition 25, the shell to which it is attached, and the inverted U-shaped conduit construction that is connected to and carried by the partition member 25.

A valve-controlled offtake pipe or drain pipe is provided at 28 so as to withdraw, as desired, liquid from the bath 27 when the liquid in said layer exceeds a minimum amount. The liquid in this layer is that which is provided because of the accumulation and collecting of water resulting from the condensation of steam in the gases and tars resulting from the condensation of tarry vapors in the gases. The gases passing upwardly through the upper interior section of the tower or, in other words, upwardly through the final section of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus are caused to take a sinuous path because of such features of construction as are provided by the cone-shaped member 29, the downwardly and inwardly sloping annular member 30 the upper peripheral edge of which is directly connected to the shell construction, and the deflecting plates as 31 and 32 with the result that the gases must take a sinuous path or sinuous paths and thereby be maintained in the gas cooling and purifying apparatus until they are substantially cooledand sufficiently to cause condensible tar vapors and watervapors to leave the gas and collect in receiving sections from which they can be removed. The baffle plate construction just described is arranged so that condensed products received on any one plate will, drip therefrom to and upon the vplates below and the construction is also such that there is provided an upper liquid-receiving sectional; 33 from which any collected liquids which are in general tar oils-can be drained or drawn off as through a valve-controlled offtake pipe 34. It will be manifest that each of these baffle members 29 and 30 must be suitably sup ported in place either directly or indirectly from the shell of the structure. I

From the uppermost section of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus, the cooled and purified gases are conducted by the pipe 35 to and into astorage tank or receptacle 36. This pip-e 35 is preferably provided with any suitable stop valve as 35 This storage tank is preferably provided with a pressure gauge as '37 and with a safety valve 38. It also has a gas offtake pipe 39 leading therefrom which is normally closed except when gas is being used because of the opening of a valve or the several valves associated therewith. 40 diagrammatically illustrates a valve construction for determining the time when the gas is to be used. The tank is also preferably provided with 'a valve-controlled drain pipe 41 for permitting the draining of the tank of any condensible products which may tend to collect therein as the result of long use of the apparatus.

The gas cooling and purifying apparatus of Figure 3 is similar in many respects to the apparatus'shown in Figure 1 but in the apparatus of- Figure 3, a fan construction is provided in which the inner and outer cylindrical portions thereof do not dip into the lower body of liquid 15. The pipe 14, however, is preferably provided with tip members 42 arranged for properly distributing and directing-the gas in respect to the fan blades fan and-for properly distributing the gases in refspect to the bladed section of the fan. In this figure', the intermediate partition construction is also somewhat modified. The tip members 42 are preferably constricted or provided with nozzles so as to cause the gas to be delivered therefrom as jets'under pressurewith a consequent release of tar particles as the gas delivered from the nozzles tends to expand. The jet efiect also assists in the rotating and proper functioning of the fan.

In Figure 3, the partition plate is provided by a member 43 having a central, upstanding, tubular portion with which there is associated an inverted saucer-shaped member 44 that directs the gases toward an intermediate layerof liquid 45. In this construction, a sinuous path of gas exists along which the gas must flow prior to passing the cone-shaped member 29 and above the coneshaped member 29 there are arranged baffle plates 30, 46, 47 and 48 which compel the gases to take a sinuous path in passing through the upper or final section of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus.

The structural arrangement of Figure 4 is substantially the same as that shown in Figure} with the exception that the initial and final sections of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus are separated and the gas passes from the initial section to the final section through the medium of the S-shaped connecting conduit provided at 49. The gas oiftake pipe 50 of the apparatus of Figure 3 or Figure 4 functions in exactly the same manner as the gas offtake pipe 35 of Figure 1 in conducting the cooled and purified gases to the storage tank or receptacle.

In regard to the operation of the apparatus or system, as a whole, it will be assumed that a low liquid level is established at 15 and a low intermediate level is established as at 2'7. The apparatus is then in condition for normal functioning. The door 3 of the retort l is opened and the desired batch or charge of material to be gasified is inserted in the retort. Thereupon, the door is tightly closed and heat is applied to the exterior of the retort. The moisture is first driven off and a drying of the contents within the retort is carried out. This is followed by the gasifying of the volatile contents of the substances due to the destructive distillation thereof which takes place within the retort because of the heat indirectly applied to the substances. This heating of the material within the retort is preferably carried out at temperatures approximately up to 750 degrees F. and the only place of escape for the a resulting steam, vapors and gases from the retort is through the oiftake piping 14 leading to the gas cooling and purifying apparatus. The steam, vapors and gases driven from the retort, therefore, pass into the lower portion of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus upwardly through the fan construction in a manner to rotate the same and in passing through the fan blades which become more or less coated with tars, there is a tendency for tar vapors within the gases to be further condensed and collected through the medium of the fan blades and to a certain extent, the gases are cleared of the tarry vapors.

The gases continue upwardly from the lower section into and through the upper or final section' of the gas cooling and purifying apparatus. They are caused to take a sinuous path and they are maintained within the gas cooling and purifying apparatus a substantial period of time and until they are cooled to approximately 100 degrees F. Before or by the time this temperature is reached, the steam and water vapors have been condensed and also a large part of the tar vapors which are in the gas. There is also thrown down solid carbonaceous particles which may have been carried along with the gas into the gas cooling and purifying apparatus with the result that by the time the gas reaches the pipe leading from the gas purifying and cooling apparatus, the gases will be cooled and purified and ready for collection as clean gas within the storage tanl: or receptacle. The gasifying of the contents within the retort creates a considerable pressure, to wit, a pressure which is sufiicient to force the gas into and through the gas cooling and purifying apparatus and under pressure into the storage tank or receptacle. The pressure of the gas maintained within the storage tank or receptacle is substantialy greater than that above the atmosphere with the result that the gas can be supplied to the place of use merely by opening of a valve, as 40, in the offtake piping system leading from the storage tank or receptacle. The gas cooling and purifying apparatus of Figures 3 and 4 function in substantially the same manner as the cooling and purifying apparatus of Figure 1 and further description in this regard is believed to be unnecessary.

The system described is particularly useful as on farms, country estates, or in the sections where public utility gas systems are not available. The invention is, therefore, commercially practical in respect to the sale of installations of relatively small units. For example, the gas cooling and purifying apparatus may be embodied in a structure which is approximately 15 inches in diameter by 3 feet in height, and the retort is made to receive and gasify a charge of approximately 50 pounds of material. Where a 50-pound charge of material is employed, there can be produced about 500 cubic feet of gas in approximately 40 minutes. With such an apparatus, a receiving tank of approximately 4 feet in diameter by 7 feet in length can well be used, and pressure can be built up therein, for example, to 50 or even pounds.

From a ton of material gasified, there is realized approximately 20,000 cubic feet of gas, 20 gallons of tar, 10 gallons of creosote, 30 gallons of water (although this amount is necessarily quite variable, dependent upon the moisture content of the original charge), and approximately 650 pounds of charcoal or carbonaceous material.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for cooling and purifying gases having condensable tar vapors entrained therein, a vertical shell provided with a horizontal partition dividing the shell into upper and lower compartments, a liquid sealed gas conduit leading from the top of the lower chamber to the interior of the upper chamber at the bottom thereof, blades mounted within the lower chamber and adapted to be rotated by currents of gas passing through the lower chamber, piping leading from the exterior of the lower chamber to the interior of the same at a point below the blades so that gases may contact with and flow upwardly between the blades, a valve controlled overflow leading from the lower chamber for withdrawing tar and condensed vapors cooling therein, staggered baffle members arranged in the upper chamber for causing the gases to take a sinuous path between them to the top of the upper chamber, a liquid receptacle carried by the lowermost bafile and arranged to receive condensation drip from the baffles, a valvecontrolled offtake pipe connected with the drip receptacle, and a gas outlet pipe leading from the top of the upper chamber.

2. In an apparatus for cooling and purifying gases having condensable tar vapors entrained therein, a vertical shell provided with a horizontal partition dividing the shell into upper and lower compartments, a liquid sealed gas conduit leadingfrom the top of the lower chamber to the interior of the upper chamber at the bottom thereof, blades mounted within the lower chamber and adapted to be rotated by currents of gas passingthrough the lower chamber, piping leading from the exterior of the lower chamber to the interior of the same at a point below said blades so that gases may contact with and flow upwardly between the blades, a valve controlled overflow leading from the lower chamber for withdrawing tar and condensed vapors cooling therein, staggered baflie members arranged in the upper chamber for causing the gases to take a sinuous path between themto the top of the upper chamber, a liquid receptacle carried by the lowermost baffle and arranged to receive condensation drip from the baflles, a valve controlled offtake pipe connected with the drip receptacle, a gas outlet pipe, and a valve controlled outlet connected with the lower portion of the upper chamber and spaced from the partition for withdrawing condensation liquid from the upper chamber and adapted to maintain the said liquid seal therein.

SAMUEL S. SKINNER.

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